February 15, 2023

Featured Articles

Nicolas Otieno, a Kenyan missionary to Tanzania, recently reported to Pat Byers that he and his wife and fellow missionary, Dorcas, had reached out to an Islam family with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please remember Nicolas and Dorcas in your prayers as they continue to work to spread the Gospel. Also, Nicholas wanted to thank IYM for our encouragement and support. He says, “Tell them we really appreciate them all for standing with us in the mission.”

The American Friends Service Committee has set up a relief fund to deliver emergency kits to help meet immediate needs of the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Click HERE to learn more and/or to donate.

Please add the following information about an upcoming Youth Mission Trip to Kenya into your Sunday bulletin:

Eric Dale (IYM Missions Director) and John Muhanji (Africa Ministries Director of FUM) will be leading a team of Indiana and Kenyan youth on a unique and powerful missions experience in Kenya this summer. Expected trip dates are July 28-August 8. The trip is open to youth ages 14-22, as well as adult chaperones. Visit the IYM missions page at https://www.iym.org/page/missions to learn more and complete an application! Application deadline is April 16.

Barclay College now has an accredited nursing program! Click HERE for more information on that.

The Luke 10 Team has put together a prayer guide for churches or individuals to pray for their trip to India coming up later this month. Click HERE for that guide. It is put into a bulletin insert

format for churches to print out and put into their bulletins. Also…if your church, Sunday School class, or small group would like to commit to covering a full day of the trip in prayer, contact

Betty in the IYM office and she will let you know what days are already covered, and what days are open.

Keep in mind that we are not posting some specific information to social media about this trip for the safety of the team and the partners in the field. Please do not re-post any of the specifics found in the prayer guide.

The Growing Young Workshop that had to be postponed has been rescheduled for February 18 at Maple Run Friends.

IYM Church News

The people of Liberty Friends recently decided, after a long period of prayer and discernment, to lay down the meeting. There will be a service to celebrate the ministry of Liberty Friends and the previous churches that consolidated years ago into Liberty Friends on February 26, with Brock Sizelove bringing the message.

Marion First Friends is holding a Chili Cook Off on March 5 at noon. If you would like to enter your chili to be judged, make sure you bring it to the church kitchen by 11:15 am.

Sycamore Friends' Walk a Mile in my Shoes program has begun. The church is forming a team and receiving funds to support Kokomo Rescue Mission/Open Arms providing a safe shelter for homeless women and children. Contact Jack Hapner for information and details at 765-419-1476.

At Bear Creek Friends last Sunday, a special service was held where Vernon Huffman shared a great testimony. If you were unable to attend and would like to hear the message, a video of the testimony can be found here.

*If you want to see news and highlights for your church in the Communicator, send your information to iymcommunicator@gmail.com

Youth / Young Adult News

Winter Sneak was a blockbuster. 98 students gathered together to kick off an amazing 2023 camping season at Quaker Haven. They braved the snow and ice on the lake to play and worship together. Clarence Hogan, youth pastor at First Christian Church of Canton, brought an amazing message about living a life of faith in action. A big thank you to directors Alida Jackson and Andrew Morrical.

The next Young Adult Retreat, also known as DIY Camp, is coming March 24-26. All high school graduates under 25 are welcome for a weekend of Christ, friends, and fellowship, as well as a bit of learning how to be successful in an adult life!

Gathering Information

The next Committee Day will be March 4 at Marion First Friends. This is the budget meeting. Committee clerks will soon receive budget worksheets from the IYM office. Committees are asked to work through those budget sheets early in their March meetings and turn them in to Stewardship and Finance asap that day.

Pastors' Gathering, March 16, Farmland Friends, 10 am.

The last IYM/FUM Discussion meeting will be held at Lynn Friends on March 23, 6:30 pm.

Committee News

From the Advancement Committee --

February 2023 is disappearing quickly. Our fundraising efforts continue to reflect the care and support of our IYM community. We have raised $87,191.68 ($77,641.68 in cash and $9,550 in pledges) so far for the IYM 2024 budget. We will be announcing our goal for this fundraising effort soon. We really are doing great so far! If you have any questions or need of guidance, just let us know -- email: dseacott@gmail.com or 517-204-5348. Keep shining brightly!

From the Christian Service Committee --

Hope you are enjoying these winter days and finding ways to keep serving well. Check out what is happening at the Christian Ministries in the Muncie area: http://www.christianministriesmuncie.org/

If you have an event or a service you would like IYM to be aware of, please let us know. E-mail is dseacott@gmail.com or 517-204-5348.

Upcoming IYM Events

February 18

Growing Young Workshop

Maple Run Friends

Start: 9:30 am

End: 3:30 pm

March 4

Committee Day

Marion First Friends

Start: 9:30 am

End: 12:00 pm

March 6

Executive Committee

IYM Office

Start: 6:30 pm

End: 8:00 pm

March 16

Pastor Gathering

Location: Farmland Friends

Start: 10:00 am

End: 11:30 am

March 23

FUM Discussion Session #3

Lynn Friends

Start: 6:30 pm

End: 8:00 pm

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A Message from our Superintendent

Good Morning,

We had our second of three FUM discussion meetings at Knightstown Friends last

Tuesday. It was a time of healthy discussion with many good questions and many heart- felt comments. The presence of the Holy Spirit was evident!

IYM Clerk, Greg Hinshaw, wrapped up the meeting reminding all present that whatever decision we make regarding FUM, we make it together.

Even though we may have

some differing thoughts, ideas, feelings, or concerns…we go into all of it together.

Greg also sent me this verse as I was preparing this article this week:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and

blameless for the day of Christ.

Philippians 1:9-10

Would you join Greg, myself, and the rest of IYM in this prayer? Lord, help us that we may be able to “discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” And, in this discernment process, “that (Christ’s) love may abound more and

more in knowledge and depth of insight.”

-Pat Byers